Juvenile Mental Health Courts

NCYL is partnering with civil advocates, attorneys, and courts to divert mentally ill juvenile offenders away from jails and to the mental health services they need.

Between 50 and 90 percent of youth incarcerated in California juvenile detention facilities suffer from some form of mental illness, and about 2,000 youth are incarcerated every day simply because community mental health services are unavailable.

Juvenile mental health courts respond to this crisis by diverting mentally ill youth from juvenile jails to community-based mental health services. They focus on treatment rather than punishment.

NCYL has found that youth spend less time in detention and are less likely to get in trouble with the law after participating in Alameda County's Collaborative Mental Health Court, established in 2007. The program is a collaboration among criminal courts, probation officers, prosecutors, public defenders, mental health workers, and civil advocates.

Juvenile mental health courts provide intensive case management to youth in the juvenile justice system with serious mental illness. Youth needing mental health services and intensive supervision may be referred to the court, which regularly reviews the progress of participating juveniles. The court addresses challenges as they arise, and therapists and  mental health agencies have the opportunity to provide input.

The assigned district attorney, public defender, probation officials, mental health care workers, and civil advocates work together to review cases, develop case management plans, and review progress. The court's collaborative work helps ensure participants get the services they need to stay at home, in school, and out of the juvenile detention system.

Civil advocates like NCYL help improve the courts' ability to divert juveniles away from jail and make sure juveniles can access community-based services. NCYL, along with other civil advocates, have helped many youth apply for Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — critical support for adolescents in need of intensive mental health services. For a child who has no form of health insurance, obtaining Medicaid can mean the difference between being locked up in juvenile hall and being at home with a loving family supported by appropriate community-based health care. By providing better access to public benefits, civil advocates improve treatment outcomes and help stabilize families. NCYL currently works with the juvenile mental health courts in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties.

April 17, 2011

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